Tourism in Boquete compared to Antigua
Posted by Lee on May 18, 2008
I planned to write long discourse on tourism and it’s social impact and I might soon. Today I was a tourist in Antigua and I could not help but compare it to Boquete Panama. I recalled an old commercial for Peter Paul candies “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Almond Joy has nuts and Mounds don’t. Well that says it all.
Anitigua and Boquete are vastly different. Antigua is old, Boquete’s not. The indigenous of Antigua have thousands of years of culture on display, the Nobe don’t. Antigua has five hundred year old ruins, Boquete doesn’t. Antigua has thousands of tourists and Boquete, well no.
What Boquete has is a pristine environment and wonderful community, very different. In many ways more suited to residential tourism than a short term adventure.
These are some photos I took this Sunday afternoon walking around central Antigua.
My favorite of the day!
Click to expand
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Great pics. Still remember the fountain in the square with water coming from the breasts. Looking at some of the restored sites I wondered what it was like in its hetday.
Nice photos.
Comparing Antigua and Boquete: I remember there were lots of children trying to sell things to the Gringos..more like Mexico than Panama in that respect.
Also, didn’t they have a fairly recent eruption of their volcano? (or should I say…volcan)
How’s the Spanish classes?
OLIVIA ANDERSON
How do these people feel about being reduced to objects of cultural curiosity by your camera? Did you ask their permission? How would you feel if someone took a photo of you as you mowed your lawn or as you were doing your grocery shopping?
Editor:
Amazingly enough if I take a photo of someone close up I ask permission. For general public scenes I do not. If anyone has ever said no, I don’t take the photo. At times I paid people, particularly indigenous people for the consent to take their photos. I paid the woman in this photo after asking her permission.